A Stale Spice
by Almeric of the Fire
Summary: Adapted from a roleplay. After a night of drinking with the Eleventh Division, Renji faces the consequences of speaking carelessly in front of Ikkaku and Yumichika and a pretty vicious hangover. Meanwhile, Byakuya contemplates Renji's diligence in his work and feels disappointed. Warnings: mild language, violence and boyxboy (yaoi).
1. Prologue

_This short fic is based on a role-play. The rating for this will not go much further than T but I may end up pushing those boundaries a little. Warnings include sexual references, mild violence and language._

_During the role-play, I played the part of Renji and my partner played Byakuya. There may be some parts that may strike you as a bit out of character but since I'll be recounting it from memory and making it into a narrative and not just a script, I may be better able to explain any oddities that might have occurred._

_I have proof-read each chapter several times over the course of writing it. I apologise in advance for any mistakes in spelling or grammar and please point them out to me so I can fix it._

* * *

It all started with a night of drunkenness. The lieutenant of the Sixth Division was meeting up with his old friends from the Eleventh Division. Lots of sake was being consumed and good times were had. As the evening drew to a close, Ikkaku Madarame and Yumichika Ayasegawa were walking Renji back to his home before they walked back to their place.

They stumbled and laughed together through the quiet streets, all of their faces having a pinkish glow from the burn of alcohol in their cheeks. The cool night was welcome against their skin after being cramped in the Eleventh's barracks for so long. Renji leaned against Ikkaku as he walked.

"I have to give credit where credit is due." Yumichika rambled. "Neither of you are terribly unattractive, certainly not compared to some people I've had the misfortune of laying my eyes upon. But, alas, you will never be more beautiful than I am!" He boasted, nimbly walking along the edges of the roofs like some overly flamboyant cat.

Renji stopped and raised an eyebrow, feeling the need to argue with the man. "Yer not the most beautiful!" He said with a wide grin. "I know someone who never speaks about his beauty because he doesn't need to!"

"Oh?" Yumichika stopped and dropped to the floor. "Go on, tell me! Who is this woman you speak of? Because I can assure you, there is no man here that has beauty like mine." _(*1)_

"He's no woman." Renji grinned. "And he doesn't have beauty like yours, his is more natural… more real I suppose."

Yumichika laughed haughtily. "I guess he's a figment of your imagination then."

Renji grinned wider, drunken courage getting the better of his common sense. He said the name and Ikkaku burst into laughter.

"I'm not going to let you live this down." Ikkaku grinned darkly.

All of a sudden, he realised exactly what he'd done.

"Shit."

* * *

_*1 – Even though this work of fiction isn't in any way translated from Japanese, this is the only part where I'm going to call upon the laws of BS and artistic license to say that, in this short bit, Renji used the pronouns which don't specify which gender the person he's talking about is. Yumichika assumes Renji is talking about a woman because he's proud of his beauty and can't really imagine a man being more beautiful._


	2. Chapter 1

_So begins the first chapter. This is the point where the roleplay actually began. I hope you enjoy it._

* * *

He was late again. Byakuya sighed as he straightened out his piles of paperwork.

"Couldn't he choose the days when there is less paperwork?" He mumbled to himself as he sorted through his pile to determine which the most urgent files were.

Renji stumbled in with his usual lack of grace and greeted by the usual cold slate grey eyes. "Sorry I'm late Taicho." Renji apologised with a bow.

Byakuya looked him over and noticed the tightness in Renji's forehead. "Were you out drinking last night, Abarai?"

"U-Uh, yeah. I was with the Eleventh Division, sir." Renji looked aside. He should have known he couldn't hide it from his captain's observant eyes.

"You smell like old sake." Byakuya said bluntly. "I can see you made the effort to wash it off though."

Renji grimaced. His hair was still wet from his rushed shower this morning so it hung almost flat instead of its usual fullness.

"You may want to remove the hair tie until your hair is fully dry." Byakuya casually commented. "It will dry much quicker that way."

Renji shrugged. "It seems to do whatever it likes anyway." He smiled wryly. "There isn't much point, if I'm honest." He took his seat at his desk and flipped through the files that needed filling out. "It looks like we'll be busy today, eh?" He grimaced. "The squad is already running through training exercises. I stopped off by our third seat before coming here."

"Ah, good thinking." Byakuya praised him. Renji blinked.

"Uh thanks." Renji rubbed at the back of his neck before starting on the paperwork. He glanced up at Byakuya every now and then to see him frowning at the pages in front of him. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Abarai." Byakuya waved a hand dismissively. "It seems I made an error in filing this report previously, apparently."

Renji stood up and took a look at the report. "Ah, I'm sorry Taicho. That's mine. I'll make the corrections."

"That's not your handwriting." Byakuya raised an eyebrow.

Renji lifted the report and looked at it properly. "It is my handwriting. That's how I write that character. You use this…" He pointed to a similar character on one Byakuya filled out that morning. Byakuya compared the two. There wasn't much difference between them, if he was honest.

"I don't recall your handwriting looking like that."

Renji laughed. "You always complain about how sloppy it looks so I've been working on it."

Byakuya blinked. "Is that so? Do I really complain that much?"

Flashing him a warm smile, Renji assured him, "You actually don't complain as much anymore. But I know I should improve my work." He took the paperwork back to his desk.

"Hmm…" Byakuya looked over his lieutenant as he worked. Most captains would be happy to have such a diligent fukutaicho but seeing this tamed, complacent side of Renji left a bitter taste in his mouth. He never really liked bitter foods; he preferred tastes that singed the palate, left it burning with heat. Renji used to show that promise but slowly the spicy flavour soon became mild. "How was your reunion with your old comrades?" He questioned purely out of curiosity.

Renji stopped writing and looked up. "A lot of fun actually." He grinned. "It's been a long time since I last went out with those goofballs."

"Anything interesting happen?" Byakuya asked.

Of course, at that moment, Ikkaku had to walk by the office window pulling kissy faces. Renji jolted badly enough to almost fall out of his chair.

"Is something bothering you Abarai?" Byakuya raised an eyebrow. Renji turned red in the face.

"It's nothing. I- Uh… I've got to get this paperwork done."

"You didn't answer my question."

"Um, well when things were quiet there was an interesting… discussion," Renji said vaguely, in the hopes that it would be enough to sate Byakuya's curiosity.

"A discussion? With Eleventh Division shinigami?" Byakuya looked amused. "Their idea of a discussion is an argument."

Renji laughed. "That's pretty much what happened. All is well though."

"Hmm if you say so. I can't pretend to understand what exactly goes through their minds." Byakuya sighed.

Renji risked a glance out of the window and saw that Ikkaku was gone for now. He continued writing but was constantly on edge, wondering when Ikkaku would dare show his face again.

"You are distracted." Byakuya broke the uneasy silence. "Your shuffling is disturbing me."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"Don't worry about it. I suppose a headache and nausea would be distracting. Would tea help you?" Byakuya asked, standing up. With his usual grace, he prepared some tea.

"Yes, thank you." Renji replied somewhat meekly. He had to admit; he was feeling pretty fragile today.

Byakuya nodded as if he expected that response. He poured two cups of tea and set one on the desk in front of Renji.

"It won't be long until the Hanami celebrations begin." Byakuya said as he looked out of the window.

Renji started drinking the tea, appreciating the subtle balance of flavour. He followed his superior's gaze out of the window and nearly choked as Ikkaku danced in front of the window with Yumichika. He started pulling silly kissy faces again but saw that Byakuya was stood there.

"I'm quite impressed, your friends have never moved so quickly." Byakuya commented. "Is there a particular reason for their antics?"

"They're making fun of something I said during that argument we had." Renji's face reddened slightly.

"Is it anything for me to be concerned with?"

"N-No." Renji looked away.

"Then we shall leave it at that. I have no business prying into your private life." He sat down at his desk and gestured to the pile of paperwork on Renji's desk. "This paperwork won't complete itself."

Nodding enthusiastically, the crimson haired shinigami resumed his work.

"You are still a terrible liar, Renji." Byakuya sighed as he finished the tea and set the empty cup down. Renji's eyes widened.

"It really isn't anything serious," he stuttered. "I just- You may think less of me if you knew."

"I'm not an unreasonable man, Renji, you should know that."

"I'm not suggesting that at all! I just said some careless things whilst I was drunk and now those two won't let me live it down."

"Did you say careless things about me?"

"Um, y-yeah I guess."

"Were these words offensive?"

"No but… I know you'll think less of me-"

"How would you know that?" Byakuya asked sharply. "If these words weren't offensive but I'd think less of you for them, what in Soul Society did you actually say?"

Renji looked at his lap. "Alright then… I'll tell you. And don't kill me until I've finished okay?"

Byakuya just looked at him unimpressed.

"…Right. Well last night towards the end, I was really drunk and Ikkaku and Yumichika were walking me back home. Yumichika started rambling on about how he was the most beautiful in all of Soul Society. I started arguing with him, not that I was suggesting that I was more beautiful or whatever. To be honest I guess I was just arguing with him for the sake of arguing. And when he challenged me on it, he told me to say who I thought was more beautiful." Renji stopped and swallowed nervously.

"Who did you say then if you weren't suggesting yourself?" Byakuya asked quietly.

"I said that I thought you were, Taicho." Renji blushed crimson.

"That would explain their childish behaviour." Byakuya mumbled after a brief moment of contemplation.

"Don't you have anything to say to me?" Renji asked, wriggling in his chair in discomfort.

"I'm thinking."

"I didn't say I had an attraction to you, they just assumed I did." Renji mumbled quietly. Byakuya stood up and looked out of the window. "I'm sorry I was so careless." Renji added demurely.

"Stop debasing yourself like that. You've always been one to speak your mind. To be honest, I'm flattered that I even featured in your mind during a drunken argument.

"If you actually regret what you said, then you can keep acting like the weakling you're acting like at the moment." Byakuya scolded him firmly. "If you don't regret anything, there is nothing further to discuss. You don't need my forgiveness for your thoughts."

Renji blushed hard. "I regret how I said it and who I said it to. But you're right, I do think you are a very attractive man."

Byakuya looked at him in surprise. He had expected Renji to deny it and dismiss it as a drunken rambling. "You do realise who you are talking to, don't you?"

He swallowed and nodded. "Of course I know. I'm not stupid."

A slight smirk graced Byakuya's face for a fleeting instant. "No you're not. Get back on with your work."

"I'm still gonna kick Ikkaku and Yumichika's asses across Soul Society." He grumbled, settling back at his desk properly.

* * *

_This story will only be about 7 chapters long and updating fairly regularly. And that's about it for my Author's notes. I hope you'll stick around for future chapters._


	3. Chapter 2

_I'm back again with the next installment. Sorry to say it but I don't really have a set update schedule for this. Anyway, that aside, I hope you enjoy this chapter.  
_

* * *

During the lunch break, Renji worked through it to make up for the time he spent being distracted and Byakuya decided to sort through the bookcase. There was a knock at the door to the office.

"I believe that is for you Lieutenant Abarai." Byakuya said without looking.

Renji nodded and slid the door open to see Ikkaku's grin. Without saying a word, Renji punched Ikkaku in the gut.

"You crazy bastard! What the hell do you think you're doing?" Renji yelled at him.

Ikkaku laughed breathlessly and Yumichika sighed behind him.

"Arguments are unsightly."

"Working through lunch, eh Renji?" Ikkaku grinned widely. "Getting all cosy with your pretty Captain."

Byakuya looked up from the book he was reading with a raised eyebrow.

"It's none of your business who I happen to like spending my time with." Renji growled and folded his arms. "Just because I say stuff when I drunk, it doesn't mean ya can drag my Captain into it."

"It's 'whom', Abarai." Byakuya murmured as he flipped the page.

"If I were just to offer my opinion, it was you who dragged him into the discussion in the first place, Renji." Yumichika interjected.

"Shut it you damn peacock! I wasn't the one doing the tango with a baldy just to tease someone!" Renji turned on him.

Byakuya sat against his desk and watched in hidden amusement as Renji got more and more riled up by his two friends.

"I wasn't doing the tango with him! That would be far too suggestive and unsightly."

"You wanna know what else is unsightly? The fact that both of your damn faces are here! Don't you have little kids to make cry?"

"Hmm~ I think the stress of being around the object of his fantasies is getting to him. Don't you think Yumichika?" Ikkaku grinned.

"Oh yes! You can see him struggling to keep control of those urges." Yumichika added.

Byakuya observed the veins pulsing in Renji's temples and the fists that were tightly clenched by his subordinate's sides. Renji was holding back his anger pretty well but he could feel how his spiritual pressure raged though.

"It just goes to show the level of intelligence that you can expect from those from the Eleventh Division. All muscle, no finesse." Byakuya commented. "He may have been one of you at one point, but he's mine now." He snapped the book shut and turned his cold gaze onto Ikkaku and Yumichika.

Renji snapped. "What the hell would you know about being from the Eleventh Division?" He yelled at Byakuya. Yumichika and Ikkaku stared on in horror.

Byakuya looked at his raging lieutenant dispassionately. "Might I remind you not to use that tone with me."

"Might I remind you that even if I'm part of this Division, I learned my resolve back when I was with them. I'm not your toy, some pet you can keep around!"

"I have never treated you like that since the Ryoka visit back then!" Byakuya narrowed his eyes. "The lunch break is over, Abarai. I recommend you drop this and get back to work. You can resolve whatever issues you have with these two at a later time."

"We'd better go, actually." Ikkaku mumbled and ran off, followed by a laughing Yumichika.

"Get back here! You're not going anywhere!" Renji made to run after them but he was slammed down to the desk and he was pinned beneath Byakuya's firm grip on his arms and his chest crushed beneath his captain's.

"You aren't going anywhere Abarai, you're on the clock now so act like it." Byakuya murmured lowly into his ear.

Renji stopped breathing. His pulse raced and it was a wonder that his Captain didn't notice it. He'd never seen Byakuya so close and all he could see was the muscles of his elegant neck and silken black strands of hair. Fuck, that smell was intoxicating. He clenched his fists and jaw in an effort to remain still.

Noticing his fukutaicho's lack of struggle, Byakuya moved away. It seemed that it really was possible for Renji's face to match his hair.

"I trust that I will not have to see another fit of anger any time soon?" Byakuya arched his eyebrow as he looked over his very flustered lieutenant.

"I'm sorry; I lost control." Renji mumbled as he pulled himself up from the top of his desk. He dusted down his uniform.

"I could see that. Don't let it happen again. We are both much further behind on the paperwork than I had hoped. We cannot afford any further distractions."

"Yes Taicho, it won't happen again."

Slumping back down into his seat, Renji resumed work on the files. It should have been a fairly simple task, but every irritated sigh and deep breath from the man opposite reminded him of those lips so close to his ear. He would stop and frantically try to get rid of the thoughts by imagining Kenpachi dancing around in just a fundoshi. It was disturbing but did the job well enough.

Byakuya watched Renji with half an eye and noticed how Renji would stop occasionally, get a strange expression on his face and then shudder. It went on for quite some time and it was beginning to irritate Byakuya.

"Why do you keep doing that? What is on your mind?" Byakuya sighed.

Renji looked up. "Kenpachi dancing around in a fundoshi," Renji replied as if it was the most normal thing in the world. Byakuya pulled a disgusted face.

"I need not need that mental imagery," he said stiffly.

"You asked." Renji smirked amusedly.

"I regret my decision. Just continue with your work without the disturbing images of a captain in his undergarments."

Now Renji was completely screwed. Thanks to Byakuya's phrasing he was imagining a different captain in his undergarments. He hit his forehead against the table. _Dammit! Dammit! Dammit!_

"I told you to stop thinking about whatever you were thinking about so that you wouldn't annoy me with your restlessness. Now your restlessness is very audible. Get on with your work Abarai. As much as you may resent it, it needs to be done."

"I know, dammit! I know!" Renji whined. "I really can't clear my head at all."

"That's not a good excuse, Abarai. You know it isn't."

"Then what am I supposed to do, huh? How the hell can I stop being distracted?" Renji snapped. "I'm trying to focus but every time you sigh my mind starts wandering!"

"So it's my fault?"

"No! It's not but- fuck!" He pulled at his hair in frustration.

Rising from his seat, Byakuya crossed the distance between the desks and laid a hand on Renji's shoulder.

"Is something bothering you?" He asked Renji with concern obvious in his voice. He was surprised when Renji flinched away from his touch.

"Don't touch- I'm sorry, I-"

"Relax Renji." Byakuya crouched and carefully placed his hand back on Renji's shoulder. He saw how Renji was biting down hard on his lower lip. "You'll bleed if you keep biting it like that."

Renji's wide-eyed expression spoke of sheer terror as he met Byakuya's cool slate grey eyes. Byakuya had never seen this expression on his lieutenant's face and it shook him to the core.

"Did something happen to you?" Byakuya asks calmly but his voice betrayed his concern. Renji came back to his senses at the tone of his captain's voice.

"N-No, I'm fine. I just- I overreacted."

"You are not fine, Renji. That much is obvious." Byakuya said firmly, reaching to Renji's face and cupping the man's jaw. "I have never known you to show such fear in your eyes. What happened?"

"I'm fine." Renji persisted. "I'm just frustrated with myself."

Byakuya lowered his hand away from Renji's face and rested it on his knee. Renji froze. Every slight shift of his captain's hand seemed magnified as Byakuya smoothed it up so that his hand rested mid-way up Renji's thigh.

"Take your hands off me." Renji choked. The words, though barely audible, reached Byakuya's ears. Surprised, Byakuya thought quickly about his lieutenant's strained words. He could use this.

"Not until you tell me what's wrong." Byakuya almost growled.

"What's wrong is that you have your hands on me." Renji barked.

"Tell me what is bothering you or just get back on with your work without all these disruptions!" Byakuya commanded.

"It would be a lot easier to get on with my work if you weren't such a damn cocktease!" Renji blurted.

In the stunned silence that followed, Renji's words rang in both of their ears.

"Abarai-fukutaicho," Byakuya murmured, "explain to me the meaning of the word you just used." His tone was low but in Renji's mind it was ten times more fearsome than any tone he'd heard his captain use before. His grip on Renji's shoulder and thigh became crushing all of a sudden.

"I-It m-means… you act s-so…" Renji swallowed the nervous lump in his throat.

"I act so… what?" Byakuya narrowed his eyes.

"S-Sexy." He stuttered and raised his arms as if he was expecting to be hit, closing his eyes tightly so he didn't see it coming. "I wouldn't blame you if you killed me right here."

Byakuya said nothing and got to his feet, brushing his uniform neat and backing off.

"Aren't you going to say anything?" Renji asked after a dreadfully long moment.

"What would I say, Abarai?" Byakuya asked him with no emotion in his words. "I'm still thinking."

Renji lowered his arms and looked at his captain. "I don't mean anything bad by it. I just can't clear my head and now you know why."

"I thought… you and Rukia…" Byakuya trailed off. For once, he was uncertain about the direction of his words because he didn't want to offend his lieutenant.

"She's awesome and all but I don't think of her that way." He blinked owlishly. Byakuya thought he liked her? He laughed a little at the thought. "I think she'd probably kill me if I dared ask her out."

"Is that so?" Byakuya mused, still not completely focused on what Renji was saying. He was still trying to understand Renji's words. He looked at his lieutenant's disheveled appearance and flustered expression; then the penny dropped. His eyes widened.

Renji noticed the shift in his captain's expression. He'd finally figured it out.

"I'm going to the training fields, Abarai. I will not be back before the office closes. Feel free to leave at the usual time but not a moment sooner." Byakuya informed Renji. "Try to get some work done."

"Yes Taicho, I understand." Renji nodded.

Byakuya gave a curt nod and gracefully breezed out of the room. Renji slammed his fists onto the desk.

"Fuck!"

* * *

_That's it for now, I'll be posting another chapter in a couple of days with any luck and work permitting._


	4. Chapter 3

_Hey guys, got a new chapter for you. I hope you enjoy it._

* * *

On the way out of the office, Byakuya passed Rukia on the way to the training fields. Rukia greeted him with a bow and a smile.

"Afternoon Nii-sama!" she said brightly.

"Hello Rukia." He nodded politely and was about to walk away but hesitated. "May I ask a favour from you?"

Surprised, Rukia looked at him with interest. "Um, sure, what do you need?"

"Abarai has been… distracted. I'm still uncertain about some parts he was rambling about but as his friend, I think you might have more success in finding out exactly what is wrong with him. I'm asking if you will talk to him if you're not too busy."

"I will see what I can do, Nii-sama. I have a few more errands to run but I'll ask Ukitake-taicho if I can be excused early to help you once I've done these tasks. Is he alright?"

"He's… confused and frustrated but other than that he's fine from what I understand." Byakuya explained. "I'm not sure how to handle him when he's like this."

Rukia blinked. "It must be pretty serious then. He's pretty good at soldiering through problems usually."

"That's what I thought too." Byakuya looked into the distance thoughtfully. "His temper was shorter than usual too."

"I'll see what I can do Nii-sama. I'll try not to fail you."

"Thank you, I'll see you tonight at dinner."

"I'll see you soon, Nii-sama." Rukia smiled warmly and got back to her errands.

Paperwork had never been so despicable in Renji's eyes at that moment. Even the dust on the top shelves had more value than him, he felt. Growling in frustration, Renji shifted his anger at himself onto the paperwork. Without his Captain there, he was able to concentrate and soon got most of the work done by the time interruption came in the form of Rukia's knock on the wide open office door.

"Renji?" She queried gently. Renji ignored her as he pulled another folder onto the previously empty workspace in front of him.

"Nii-sama asked me to drop by." She persisted.

Renji put down the pen and looked at her. "Oh. Come in then, I guess." He mumbled.

She took a seat and moved it across from Renji's desk as he started writing another report.

"He seemed… worried about you. Though it's hard to tell." She spoke up. "Is something bothering you?"

"He didn't tell you?" Renji paused in his writing.

"I don't think he quite understood whatever it was that happened."

Continuing, Renji spoke as he wrote: "Of course he understood, that's why he couldn't wait to get away from me!"

"Renji, just stop. Put that down and look at me." Rukia snapped at him. "What happened?"

"I… called him a…" Renji swallowed nervously and cleared his throat.

"Called him what?"

"A cocktease."

Rukia's eyes widened. Before Renji could register what was happening, she had jumped over the table and dropkicked Renji in the face. "Are you insane?" She yelled at him. "It's a wonder you're not mortally wounded by now!"

"Don't you think I know that?" Renji yelled back at her. "I didn't mean to say it. I was flustered and he was all close and serious and so damn sexy. I snapped and just blurted it out." He sighed and looked defeated at the wall. "This all happened because of something else stupid I said to Yumichika and Ikkaku when we were drinking last night. I'm an idiot."

"No arguments here!" Rukia rolled her eyes and sat on his chest. "So you called Nii-sama a cocktease, then what happened?"

Renji looked at her. "He told me to explain it and then he just looked lost."

"I would too if my male lieutenant just called me a cocktease, if I were him."

"When he realised-… when he realised what I was saying that's when he left for the training grounds."

Rukia frowned and moved off him. "So what do you think about Nii-sama? And I mean _really think _about him."

Renji sat up and was helped to his feet by the petite woman. He rubbed at his neck nervously and looked out of the window.

"He's… incredible," he murmured. "I say all the wrong things I guess; I really do think he's sexy but he's more than that."

Renji was impressed by the way Rukia didn't react without thinking. She looked at him for a long moment with those calm dark eyes and smiled slightly. "Yeah you are a moron. Nii-sama is concerned about you, even though you said that."

Gaze shifting to the ceiling, Renji sighed. "I don't think he's all that concerned about me. I'm just the idiot fukutaicho that keeps messing up and blurting stupid things and he's just… so perfect and composed. Why would he care about me?"

"Because he respects you. You proved your determination to get stronger and he values you." Rukia insisted.

"I feel like the gap isn't as big anymore but he's still out of reach." Renji looked at Rukia. "Ever since Ichigo saved you from execution, Taicho has been different. He's still pretty stern but he's taken more notice of the members of his division and we can actually hold conversations about the progress of our recruits now."

"That's not just because of Ichigo, Renji." Rukia smiled. "You told me what you said to him when you fought against him. You should know that you're the main reason he's taken notice. I think you're more important to him than you think."

Unconvinced, Renji merely laughed it off. "Yeah sure and I've got perfect table manners," he quipped sarcastically.

"Stop joking around, I'm serious." Rukia scowled at him. "Speaking of which, come on you're coming to dinner with me and Nii-sama tonight."

Renji choked on his breath. "Don't just decide that! I don't think that's a good idea."

If there was anyone who could be more annoyed at someone than Rukia was with Renji at that moment they hadn't been discovered yet. "You're coming so man up and face it." Her eyebrow twitched as she fought to stop herself from yelling at him. "I'm sure Nii-sama didn't choose a coward for a fukutaicho."

"Have you ever had him pissed off at you?" Renji countered.

Rukia smirked. "_Bwuk bwuk BWUK!_"

"You're making chicken noises? Come on!" He sighed and looked at the smaller woman. "_Fine!_ But if he kills me, I'm haunting you!"

"Don't be silly Renji, you know that we're the ghosts." She laughed and headed to the door. "I'll see you there."

"Fuck my life!" Renji slumped at his desk. _That evil, manipulative woman! She was right though; I am being a coward._

* * *

_Next chapter coming soon. I hope you'll stick around._


	5. Chapter 4

___Here's the update, I expect there to be a bigger delay between these next chapters. I'm still at work on the fifth chapter and it won't be long until we reach the end. I'd like to say a big thanks to those that reviewed on the previous chapter. I'll keep this short and sweet._

* * *

_It's not too late; you can still turn back and get the fuck away from here. You know you're only walking to your doom anyway._

To say that Renji was having second thoughts about crossing over onto Kuchiki territory would be an understatement. He was fighting himself just to keep his feet moving in a forward direction. The knot in his stomach only tightened as he neared the threshold of the manor.

_Man up and face it, Renji! _He scolded himself as he hesitated to knock.

In the moment he hesitated, he gasped as the door slid open and Byakuya was stood there.

"Abarai, I was not expecting you," Byakuya's eyes widened fractionally.

Renji cleared his throat. "Rukia invited me and apparently she didn't want to take 'no' as an answer."

Byakuya's mouth twitched but he stopped himself from smiling at the thought. "I hope she did not injure you too severely then."

Renji caught the amused glint to his captain's eyes and couldn't help the smile that twitched at his own lips. "I'm serious, she dropkicked my face!" He pretended to sound incredulous, even going as far as throwing his arms up. _Yeah definitely a hint of a smile there, _he thought as he noticed Byakuya's mouth twitch again.

"Perhaps if I resorted to physical violence you might accept my invitations then." Byakuya gracefully stepped aside and welcomed Renji in. Renji looked at him nervously.

"Relax, I was joking." Byakuya waved a hand dismissively. "It is completely your own decision whether or not you wish to join us for dinner."

"Uh, yeah, of course you were joking." His grin was strained.

"You do not believe I can make jokes," the noble sighed.

"Nah, that's not true. You surprise me with them and I never know what to say."

"It would not be the first time." Byakuya said coolly and met Renji's eyes. Renji smirked and chuckled quietly. "My sister is waiting for us; let us not keep her waiting."

When they stepped into the room Rukia stood up and bowed to them both. Renji returned the gesture and smiled.

"So you made it then Renji." Rukia smiled at her old friend.

"Yeah, I managed to get all of the paperwork completed." Renji grinned proudly.

Byakuya touched Renji's shoulder briefly, bringing the redhead's attention to him. "You are a hard-worker, thank you."

Renji blushed slightly at the kind words. "I don't deserve your praise."

"I disagree but let us not dwell on that. Let us sit down to eat." Byakuya gestured to the table where they sat down together. He shared out some sake and set the bottle down on the table beside him as attendants brought meals to the table.

"It is very good of you to have prepared another meal on such short notice." Byakuya addressed the attendant placing his plate down.

The aging lady smiled. "Miss Kuchiki-sama informed us in plenty of time, it was no trouble, and certainly nothing to give us praise for."

"Nonetheless, your efforts are always appreciated." Byakuya insisted.

"Yeah, it looks incredible." Renji added with a charming grin. She smiled back.

"I'll be sure to pass on your compliments." She bowed to Renji respectfully. Turning away, she and the rest of the attendants left the room.

"It appears that you've already won her over, Renji." Rukia laughed.

Renji blinked. "I didn't do anything apart from complimenting the food."

"I think Rukia is referring to that grin of yours." Byakuya added as he picked up the chopsticks. "Itadakimasu."

"Itadakimasu." The other shinigami echoed and started eating.

"My grin? I just look like an idiot when I grin like that." Renji mused.

Rukia laughed. "Yeah that's true but you're a real charmer when you want to be. It probably helps that you're as handsome as you are."

Looking at the two Kuchikis he blinked owlishly. "Alright, the joke is over. You've never complimented me on my looks so there's something fishy going on." He mumbled just before taking a bite.

Byakuya watched him with interest, as he suddenly turned meek. He placed a hand on his lieutenant's shoulder. "I doubt that my sister was being insincere, Abarai. Whilst you may have a different opinion, your appearance is not displeasing to me."

Renji's eyes widened and he choked slightly on the bite of food he was chewing. Out of concern for him, Byakuya smoothed his hand between Renji's shoulder blades.

"Are you alright?" He asked his subordinate softly.

Renji cleared his throat with the side of his fist pressed against his lips. "Mm, I'm fine. Sorry to have caused any trouble."

"If you are certain…" Byakuya trailed off at that point, not entirely sure what to make of Renji's reaction to what he said. He withdrew his hand from the lieutenant's back and returned to eating his meal.

"So how are things going in your Division, Nii-sama?" Rukia asked conversationally, to bring her brother's attention away from the interesting shade of pink that Renji's face had become. Byakuya looked towards her and smiled very subtly.

"There has been little trouble as of late, only a few scuffles between lower ranking Divison members and nothing too serious. We have not had to issue anything more serious than a verbal warning in a while now; it is very pleasing. Now, with thanks to Abarai-san's efforts, the last of the backlog of paperwork has been completed." Byakuya informed Rukia in a gentle voice. She listened with a happy smile, genuinely pleased that her brother was content with his work.

"That's great news," she enthused with a bright smile. "I've noticed things have felt more peaceful lately. I can only hope it lasts."

Byakuya allowed himself a brief fond smile. He turned to Renji, who was more composed now. The redhead flashed Byakuya a smile before looking towards Rukia.

"Yeah, I'm looking forward to pushing the new recruits." Renji grinned. "We've not been able to devote much time to them up until now. Our third seat has had to handle a lot of that side of things for a while now."

The conversation continued for a while and by the time the three of them has finished eating, and the table was cleared. Byakuya rose to his feet, Renji and Rukia followed. He faced his lieutenant. "I am glad you joined us this evening, Abarai. It has been a pleasure to have your company."

Renji smiled. "I'm glad that Rukia persuaded me to come along. It's been nice."

"That's good to hear." Byakuya nodded and glanced to one of the doors before looking back at Renji with an uncertain expression. "Abarai, would you please join me for a walk in the garden? I wish to discuss something with you."

Rukia looked between the two men and smiled slightly. "Have a pleasant discussion, I'll leave now and go to my room."

"Alright, thank you Rukia." Byakuya nodded.

"See ya around." Renji smiled at her before she turned and left.

"Will you walk with me, Abarai?"

"Yeah, that's fine. You want to talk about what happened in the office then?"

Byakuya nodded and started walking towards the garden, sliding open a door for Renji after they both toed on their sandals.

"I appreciate that you might not want to talk about it Abarai but I'm confused about a few things."

Renji grimaced and started walking ahead of Byakuya. His shoulders looked stiff and Byakuya noticed the tenseness in his usually easy-going lieutenant.

"You really don't have to talk about it if you don't want to." Byakuya spoke up again and Renji stopped walking.

"No, I want to clear things up. I think you've got the wrong idea about earlier." Renji says quietly making Byakuya stop walking also. Turning to face him, Renji looked at the other man with a frown.

"I told you I don't know what to think about earlier."

"So let me explain myself because if you figure something out before then, I don't want it to be the wrong thing."

Byakuya looked around and gently pulled Renji towards a bench and sat down, gesturing for him to sit beside him. "I'm listening."

Hesitantly Renji sat down also and looked ahead, seemingly staring at a shrub in front of him. After a moment of silence passed, Renji spoke quietly: "I'm sorry I called you a 'cocktease'." He looked uncomfortable as the word passed his lips Byakuya observed. "I… find you to be very attractive and I would never mean to insult you. As you know, I'm not very good at explaining myself when I feel pressured."

"I've noticed." Byakuya muses, trying not to let his lip curl up into a smirk. "So your choice of word, it's what you were thinking though?"

"Y-Yeah, at that moment in time." Renji blushed faintly and scratched at the side of his neck, clearing his throat awkwardly. "L-Like I said, I find you very attractive but I want you to know that I respect you more than that. You're not just some 'object of lust' to me."

Byakuya looked blankly at Renji for a moment before he cleared his throat and asking quietly. "So… when exactly did this start? The attraction."

Renji turned his head to look at Byakuya. "I'm not really sure when. I've always thought you were beautiful but in the past that used to annoy me before my eyes were opened to the conflicts you had to suffer during Rukia's arrest. Since then, I guess my feelings grew with each day that we started to get closer. I'd never talked about these feelings with anyone, not even to Rukia until earlier today."

Gently, Byakuya placed his hand over Renji's. "Thank you for explaining yourself, Abarai. I respect you for being so open with me even though it must be nerve-wracking."

Letting a little dry laugh escape him, Renji smiled towards the hand. "I was ready to turn around and run to the other side of Sereitei just before I knocked on the door. It was already nerve-wracking before I got here." He lifted his hand up and placed it in his lap, letting Byakuya's hand slide away. "I could never forgive myself if I made you hate me."

Surprised, Byakuya gripped the bench. "I don't… why would I hate you?"

Renji looked at his hands in his lap. "Because of the way I see you."

"You said it yourself, you respect me more than that." Byakuya insisted. "I fail to see why I would hate you for something like this. It is not something you can just stop, right?"

Those deep brown eyes of Renji's looked up at him in shock. "I-It's not appropriate, I know that. What I said was foolish and inexcusa-"

Byakuya shot his hand towards Renji and clamped it over his lieutenant's mouth. "What you said was foolish, yes, but not inexcusable. I won't have you bow your head to me like this for something you can't control. Do not apologise for this Renji."

Renji's eyes widened further and he looked at Byakuya, eyes becoming watery with emotion. He closed his eyes and nodded. Byakuya felt the way his lieutenant smiled against his hand and he let go of him.

"Are you alright, Abarai?" Byakuya asked him softly.

"I'm fine." Renji laughed softly, opening his eyes to look at the other man. "I just feel like I've fallen for you even more."

Looking at the man with wide eyes, Byakuya felt heat rise to his face. "Th-That's-…"

Laughing softly, Renji placed his hand on Byakuya's shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Relax, I've had these feelings for quite a while now. I won't do anything inappropriate."

"That's not the point!" Byakuya snapped with a blush high on his cheekbones. "You've- you've fallen for me?"

Shifting in his seat, Renji pulled his hand away and rubbed at the back of his neck. "Y-Yeah, I have."

Byakuya looked at him for a long moment, thinking about what he said. "So that's why you really don't want me to hate you, correct?"

His only answer was a small nod.

"I don't hate you, Renji." Byakuya assured him softly. "If anything, I'm… glad I understand you more. It doesn't have to change anything if that's what you want."

"Thank you sir I-"

"Renji, considering the topic of conversation I would prefer it if you didn't call me 'sir'. My name is Byakuya and in my home and just between us two I would prefer you to call me that." He interjected softly over Renji's words. "Now, I know I said that but I think we can't help it if things do change between us. I don't want to distance you even if that's what I should do. I'm conflicted but can we…" Byakuya frowned as he searched for words.

Renji looked at him for a long moment and tentatively reached out towards the man, tracing the tips of his fingers along Byakuya's cheekbone. "Byakuya, I want to kiss you. Is it really fair to ask me to be closer when I feel like this?"

Gasping, Byakuya leaned away, knowing that was what he should do but as he looked at Renji's calm, smiling face he remained still. "It isn't fair but…"

"You're troubled. I can see it." Renji looked down slightly, still smiling and Byakuya honestly didn't understand why he was being so calm about this. "I don't want you to feel guilty, like you have to keep me beside you. That's the last thing I want."

"Then tell me what it is that you want. Why are you so calm even though you feel like this?"

"I'm not calm." He laughed sadly. "I just confessed that I've fallen for you. I'm terrified of how you will react but I can see you're just as scared but you're not scared of me."

Byakuya frowned and reached out to Renji, touching the hair that fell over his shoulder. "Of course I'm not scared of you." He murmured and looked up to Renji's face. "I think I just don't want to let you go. I'm confused by quite a few things right now but I don't want you to leave me."

They looked at each other for a moment before Renji smiled again and leaned in closer. "Byakuya, may I kiss you?" He remained still, his face mere inches away from Byakuya's. Realising that Renji will not move unless he is permitted or rejected, Byakuya looked his lieutenant in the eye.

"I can't." Byakuya moved away and stood up sharply backing away a few paces before stopping. "I'm sorry Renji."

"Don't apologise." Renji stood up and straightened his kimono. "I'm sorry I've put you in an awkward position."

Byakuya cleared his throat after a moment of thought.

"Ren- Abarai, you will have two weeks of paid leave from your duties at the Division. In that time, you aren't to come to the office. If there are any reports that _you _have to fill in, I will have them delivered to your residence. Everything else I will take care of myself."

Renji stared at Byakuya in slack-jawed shock and, somewhat, composed himself but there was a cold anger burning in his eyes. "Fine, I'll let you hide from me. I'll see myself out. This evening was… pleasant. Thank you for having me."

Regret gnawing at his stomach, Byakuya only watched as Renji stood and left without another word or a glance in his direction.


End file.
